There are “sofa-sized oils” and there are “sofa-sized oils” – the Monet waterlilies painting coming up at Christie’s November 7 Impressionist and Modern Art auction is definitely in the latter category. The image is iconic, beautiful and perfectly scaled for your pied-à-terre. It also carries the highest pre-sale estimate, $30-50 million. Among the other highest estimated lots is a lovely and iconic plaster by Brancusi, Muse (lot 36, estimated at $10-15 million), and Wassily Kandinsky’s Studie für Improvisation 8 (lot 47, estimated at $20-30 million). Two odd sculptures are among the top lots, Picasso’s arrogant/strutting Coq (lot 13, estimated at $10-15 million) and Alberto Giacometti La Jambe (The Leg, lot 53, estimated at 10-15 million). The latter reminds me of chicken king Frank Perdue’s old marketing line: “Parts is parts.” So here are the top five by estimate (a total of seven shown since three have the same estimate):

Lot 13. Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Coq, numbered and stamped with foundry mark ‘4/6 C.VALSUANI CIRE PERDUE’ (on the side of the base), bronze with brown patina, Height: 25½ in. (64.8 cm.) Conceived in 1932 and cast in the 1950s.Estimate: $10-15 million. Bidding on this lot stopped at $9.2 million and it failed to sell.

Lot 53. Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) La Jambe, signed and numbered ‘Alberto Giacometti 3/6’ (on the top of the base); inscribed with foundry mark ‘Susse Fondeur. Paris’ (on the side of the base), bronze with brown and green patina, Height (including base): 85 13/16 in. (218 cm.) Conceived in 1947 and cast in 1958.Estimate: $10-15 million. This lot sold for a hammer price of $10 million.